


If The Future Is At Stake

by airshipper



Category: Merlin (TV), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Circa s5e2, Gen, Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-04-13
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:23:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airshipper/pseuds/airshipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki in his defeat and madness seeks out a source of power that could defeat the Avengers. Something like the stuff of mortal legends like him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Everything had been perfectly normal, until it wasn't. Arthur at first had only noticed a sudden strong breeze in the room. Then he heard Mordred yell, along with the surprised  yells and screams of his court. Gwen stood at his side and he turned in time to see Mordred, closely followed by Gwaine and Percival, dive at a vanishing whirlwind.

"Sorcerer! Knights, at arms!" Arthur bellowed. 

 _"Merlin!"_  Gwaine yelled. "Dammit!"

 Mordred stood where the whirlwind was, breathing heavily. He looked around the room, his eyes caught on the only other one in the room whose expression of dread matched his.

The knights stood ready for battle, the court stood together nervously, but nothing more happened.

First Arthur sent the knights in groups to scour the castle, but they found nothing. He heard no word of man-servants appearing alive or dead, and no word of  sudden errant sorcerer attacking. He stated to send out small search parties into the surrounding country. He had to be careful, he wasn't sure this wasn't an attempt to get him away from Camelot or weaken its defenses.

 

Mordred slipped into the Physician's chambers. "Gaius..." The old man looked up. "I know you're looking for him. Let me help." 

Gaius watched him for a long moment, then beckoned him over. "You know how important it is...  Thank you, young Mordred."

Mordred nodded quickly. They used almost every location spell they could think of or find in Gaius's old books.

Nothing worked.

 

Arthur grew desperate. He paced in his room. Gwen sat near him, offering suggestions and comfort. Then she said, "There might be another way."

Arthur looked at her.

"You would, I mean we would, have to change our way of thinking about some things..."

"Guinevere."

"Mordred used to live as a druid. He may know someone who could find Merlin." Arthur frowned. He watched her steady gaze,  then looked at the ground.

"With magic."

"Yes, Arthur. With magic." She said, calm and steady and warm in his turmoil.

"I've seen magic do great evil." He said. "But I know the druids to be both peaceful and sorcerous." Gwen nodded. "I... I will ask."

 

Mordred blinked at Arthur. He didn't know what to say at first.

"Are you alright, Mordred?" Arthur asked. He tried to keep his voice regal, no weakness will show right now during his compromise with magic, no matter that Gwen, Gaius and Mordred were the only ones present.

Gaius was giving him a bewildered look as well.

"I. There's" Mordred glanced at Gaius. "There's a crystal, the crystal of Neahtid. It can be used to find him."

"The crystal lies locked in Camelot's vaults." Arthur said, and nodded. "Do you know any druid who can use it? Who would be willing to help."

"Sire ,most any druid--" Mordred shut up. He took a deep breath and said before Arthur could question him, or ask him to continue, "I can."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. After a long moment, Mordred beginning to fidget, he said, "Of course you can... What do you need?"

"Only the crystal, sire."

The crystal was retrieved from the vaults and Mordred gazed into it. He saw—

Heard—

Felt—

Smelled a flash of images and cold blue eyes.

"Sire," Mordred gasped, tearing his eyes away. "Sire, Merlin is," The word were hard to find. The concept  entirely foreign to him. ”Merlin lives… He exists as he did here, but more than a thousand years from now.”

_-o0O0o-_

Merlin was snatched out of court and dropped as abruptly as he was grabbed.

He scrambled to his feet and tripped over the new area that he was in. He didn’t recognize it or the odd man with metal on his mouth. The man was sickly pale and sweating. He staggered for moment but righted himself. He looked like he had not slept in a very long time.

Merlin demanded to know where he was, who the stranger was, and what he thought he was doing?!

The man rolled his eyes and pointed to the metal on his mouth. Merlin frowned, an inch of concern growing in his chest despite himself, but he tensed when he reached into his jacket. He pulled out a tiny hard looking thing, a case, Merlin guessed.

But the strange man didn’t open it; he poked it repeatedly with the fingers of one hand while holding it in the other. Merlin furrowed his eyebrows, baffled. He backed away when the box was held out to him.

The surface of it glowed with light, and Merlin let curiosity get the better of him and edged forward for a closer look. In the light he saw words. The letters were mostly familiar and he read slowly, mouthing.

_My apologies for the rough treatment, young magician, I am not in possession of the control I used to have. However, I am in need of your assistance. Will you help me?_

Merlin sighed. “You just pulled me out of the air in front of all of Camelot. That was incredibly foolish.”

The man started to poke the box again. It was a curious way of communicating, though Merlin supposed it was faster than scribbling on a scroll when you couldn’t speak.

_Fear not, none from that magic hating land can find us here. You are safe from danger or duty for now._

Merlin could have dropped his head into his hands from exasperation. He let out a rough sound of irritation instead. “Fine. I assume you want that metal mast removed?”

The man’s eyes curled like he was smiling and he nodded. He held out the box again:

_Thank you. You may call me Loki. You will be rewarded._

_-o0O0o-_

Arthur was pacing and broiling. Mordred was a little nervous, but Arthur’s rage seemed to be placed solely on the kidnapping sorcerer.

“That idiot! How do you even get kidnapped to a time that doesn’t exist yet!”

And Merlin.

Arthur turned to him again. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sorry your majesty.”

“We can’t leave him there… then.” Mordred shook his head.

“We can’t. He must be brought back.” The cold blue eyes came to his mind again. Arthur resumed his pacing. Gaius sighed. Gwen hummed. Finally Arthur stopped and whirled back to Mordred.

“Is there any way you know to do this?”

“It didn't even strike me as an ability within the realm of possibility until today. Sire… do not—It is not the end. Spells, they can be invented.”

Arthur turned to Gaius, who nodded. “I fear there is no other way. By magic done, by magic it must be undone.”

“Invent your spell, then.”

_-o0O0o-_

Gwen and Arthur entered the small physician’s chambers were Mordred and Gaius had been working. “I must say, I am awestruck with the speed of your spell creation. I hadn’t realized it would be so easy.”

Mordred looked up and blushed. Arthur’s tone took the same level of sarcasm he had adopted as of late whenever he was talking of magic and its usefulness, but he sounded genuinely impressed.

“Well, sire,” Gaius said, rising slowy and ushering the royal couple to sit. “We did cheat, just a bit.”

Gwen’s eyebrow rose. Arthur tilted his head. “Cheated?” He said “How do you cheat at this?”

“It’s incredibly—” Mordred coughed. “Somewhat entertainingly impossible to explain.”

“I bid you attempt it.” Arthurs said, his voice dry.

“We used the crystal again. To see the future, where we already knew the spell we need.” Gwen frowned. Arthur shook his head.

“Wait, what?”

“It was the only thing we could think to do. Research gave nothing even close to what we would need to travel through time as though it were a road. I doubt that a more expansive library would have helped.”

“But,” Gwen said, hand out as though she could grasp the answer out of the air. “Where then does the knowledge come from?”

“Ourselves!” Gaius said, quite proud. “You see, sire, your highness—”

“Gwen, Gaius, please,” Gwen said automatically, looking bewildered.

“My apologies. The knowledge comes from ourselves! “ Arthur looked from Gaius to Mordred; both looked very pleased with themselves.

“I don’t get it.” They looked at Gwen. She shook her head politely.

“Do you see it? Because we made it so, it had to be so. Because it happened.” Mordred said, expression earnest and willing them to understand. Arthur shook his head again, starting to look the very beginning of irritated.

“Because it happened, it had to happen,” Gaius tried. “And because it had to happen,  we saw it happen.”

“You’re all mad. You cannot possibly get something from nothing.”

“No, Arthur,  I think I may get it?” Gwen said. “I mean, sort of. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophesy isn’t it? Because you saw it happen in the future, you caused it to happen.” Arthur threw his arms up in the air.

“Insane witchcraft, I get it. Now that you have conjured up a spell, what do we do? Can you summon him?”

Mordred glanced at Gaius  “No, sire, we cannot do that.”

“So, we go and get him.” Mordred nodded. “Then geon. I will go. Mordred, you will accompany me. Guinevere…” He took her hand. “I need you to rule Camelot in my absence.”

Gwen nodded solemnly and pressed  a kiss to his lips. She pulled an embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve and tied it gently around Arthur’s arm. “Go safely and return to me.”

“I will. Mordred, begin the spell.”

Mordred does the spell and Arthur finds himself sprawled on cold hard ground. He stays very still for a moment, dizzy, and then hears:

“Oh, no…” Gwen said.

Arthur sits bolt upright. Gwen is sitting near him, looking frazzled. Mordred is lying on the ground, quite unconscious. Arthur checks on him, but he is breathing normally and seems, other than exhausted, healthy.

“Is he alright?”

“Yes, I think that spell exhausted him.” He glanced worried at Gwen. She tried to smile soothingly at him.

“Let me watch over him. Take Excalibur and see if Merlin is nearby.” Arthur quirked and eyebrow.

“I do like the way you think, Guinevere.”

“Oh!” She covered her mouth with a shocked hand. “Arthur!”

Arthur crept about the area carefully. There were buildings around him, made of some very small cut stone, rough to the touch. They were very well made building by his guess, but not well maintained. The floor was some massive flat stone, rough and dark grey, covered in garbage and smelling like the back of a tavern. There was no roof above him but he could see the beginnings of roofs on the other sides of both walls. He would guess he was between buildings, but that the ground wasn’t dirt or cobblestone.

There was no Merlin. There seemed only to be some older gentleman, slumped against the wall and nursing something that smelled quite strong. Not that much had changed in a thousand years then.

Arthur dared not leave Gwen alone for long however and returned. Mordred was awake and attempting to sit up with help.

“Mordred, you were not supposed to bring the queen on our quest.”

“Sorry sire. I think there may have been a mistake…” He fell back again, asleep.

_-o0O0o-_

Loki led Merlin to a seedy inn passing the ‘phone’, as he learned it was called, back and forth.

_I do not think this mask will be easily removed. We might as well be comfortable. Your coat is thin, and I do not think you talk to the winters of Midgard’s New York._

Merlin nodded reluctantly, pulling his jacket tighter. “Where is Midgard and New york?”

 _Midgard is my_ —Merlin read over Loki’s shoulder. He paused in writing. _Midgard is the Asgardian name for the world where mortal humans dwell. Camelot is in Midgard. New York is across the ocean from Camelot._

Merlin raised his eyebrows, impressed. “And you used your magic to bring us across the ocean?”

Loki nodded, then gestured for Merlin to hold out is hand. He put strips of paper-cloth in Merlin’s hand, all of them the same dirty greenish color.

 _This is money_ , the phone read. _Talk to that woman. Ask for a room and hand her the money._

Merlin nodded, used to, at least, procuring rooms in taverns and inns. He was grateful to be in from the eerie glowing dark and dry frigid air.

The woman behind the bar table gave his clothing a funny look, but accepted the money easily enough. She handed over the keys and didn’t even seem to notice anyone else but Merlin. Loki followed him, silent as a ghost, upstairs.

Merlin went to work trying everything he knew short of explosive spells to remove the mask. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, smooth and polished like armor, sealed shut with no sign of clasp or tie. It hummed with magic, and something else. Something he didn’t understand. He told Loki as much when he made no headway.

_They call it technology, but it is merely more advanced magic._

Merlin made a face part frustration, part sulking. “I don’t know more advanced magic.” He growled. Loki’s shoulders shook with mute laughter. (Merlin wondered if the mask somehow cancelled sound.)

_Little warlock, you are the most powerful magic on this world._

Merlin stood abruptly and stalked away. “So I’ve heard.” He said. “Doesn’t much feel like it.” Loki stood slowly and walked over. He was very tall, Merlin noticed, not for the first time. Taller than him, and he had a good height on most.

Loki put a thin fingered hand on his shoulder and led him back to sit. He held the phone an arm’s length away in front of Merlin.

_You are young. There is time yet to learn all you will to know. Let me suggest some spells. I will teach you._

A thought struck Merlin. “You are able to do magic with that on. Why don’t you?”

 _I am not healthy, as you noticed._ Loki quirked an eyebrow at Merlin.

_To do magic is my natural element. With this, it becomes hard. Exhausted from travel and from bringing you here, deeply challenging. Without words? Impossible._

“You should have saved your energy then and not done such flashy magic.”

_Then cast perhaps a spell or two before I was exhausted too much for anything? I cannot do this alone. I need your help Merlin._

Merlin sighed. “Your spells, then.”

Loki typed out the spells on his phone. He explained that they were phonetic pronunciations. Then he explained that phonetic meant by sound.

Merlin had to practice them before he had the spell right, but it came to him much faster than it used to years ago.

Still, even the advanced spells did nothing to the mask. Through Merlin’s mounting frustration, Loki stayed eerily calm. He merely taught him another spell, let him practice, let him try. Then finally, declared it a night.

_We both must rest. I would prefer not to gain freedom only to drop from exhaustion._

Merlin wanted to be done with it, but he knew Loki was not a healthy man. His training rose to the surface now as he watched Loki lie back on one of the two small beds, on top of the covers. His hands folded over his stomach as though he slept in a tomb, not an inn. It was creepy, Merlin thought.

His face was greyish, pallid, and shone with sweat. He had bags under his eyes like bruises, and his skin seemed thin over his face and fingers. Merlin had already noted his slow pace and often uneven breathing. He was much sicker than Merlin thought when they first met. He felt a pang of concern and wished he had been paying attention to this earlier. He decided tomorrow, before the mask, he would see to Loki’s illness.

“In the morning, then.” He said absently, delayed. Loki smiled under his mask.

Merlin woke when the sun from the window hit his face. He sat up, a little confused about the softness of his bed and the warmth of his room. Then the quality of his room. This situation came back to him quickly, but he realized now that he had been too distracted to take in a lot more than just Loki’s health. (He glanced at the other bed. Loki was breathing in an out. He looked more feverish that the night before, but alive.)

Deciding that he would let Loki sleep a little longer, Merlin walked over to the window and looked out at this kingdom of New York at dawn. Merlin forgot how to breathe.

A beep caught his attention, and Merlin turned to see Loki, still prostrate on the bed, holding up the phone.

_Technology and magic is a marvel, is it not? I could show you places that would put this to shame._

“What is this New York… I have never seen so many buildings in my life, certainly none of them all in one place. And so tall. Do they grow like trees?”

_We are in the city. The towns aren’t so busy._

Merlin shook his head. “That’s not… I mean, how?” He felt giddy and scared all at once, and shook head in frustration. “Is this what a kingdom is like when it welcomes magic?”

_Do not assume what you know is privy to all. Most of these humans hardly believe magic, even when it stares them in the eye. They are an ignorant kind, who believes only in technology._

“But you said—” Loki held up a hand, then his phone.

_Magic that they, with their limited imagination, can reason away._

“They don’t believe in magic?” Loki shook his head, coolly amused. He typed a new message as Merlin watched the early risers and late returners walk the streets.

_Shall we begin, Merlin?_

“Yes.. Yes, of course. I wanted to see to your health first. I worked as a physician from time to time. Though I suppose you would know that, knowing all that you do.”

_It comes as a surprise. Do proceed._

Merlin had his strip down to his waist after affirming there were no wounds to be infected below. Loki’s torso was as thin skinned and sweaty as his face. He didn’t feel warm though. Nor were there any open wounds. Merlin did see signs of recently healed injuries.

Merlin frowned, brow creasing. His first assumption had been that Loki was suffering from an infection, leading to a fever and eating away at his health. He wasn’t sure how to continue now that he saw no signs of infection _or_ fever.

That he had some sickness came to mind, but that would also lead to fever to have him sweating so much.

An internal injury could be causing him pain, and that could lead to sweating, Merlin thought. It was no small blessing that it wasn’t infected, if that were the case.

“Do you feel any strong pain, perhaps around your abdomen?” he asked finally. Loki held up his phone.

_I have recovered most of my injuries, I believe._

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then added to his message.

_I have not given my health much thought, my freedom being more important to me, or I may have been able to tell you what ails me immediately._

Merlin quirked an eyebrow, looking unknowingly rather like Gaius. Priorities.

_I cannot do magic easily like this, much less unconsciously. Cast a strong spell of cooling on me. You’ll find my improvement timely._

“You’re not feverish, not even warm.” Merlin said slowly, purposefully like he was talking to an errant child. “If I chill you like this you’ll get worse.”

 _I am not human, foolish magician._ Loki typed, irritation in his eyes and on his brow. _Don’t assume the same remedies or ailments._

Merlin’s other eyebrow joined the first. “And you didn’t think this would be a good thing to mention at the beginning?”

Loki shrugged, angry suddenly gone. He held out his phone. _I am a Frost Giant,_ was his only reply. Well, that explained his height, Merlin thought.

While Merlin wasn’t sure that Loki was in his right mind, it seemed to fit that he _was_ feverish, just feverish for a man with a cold body heat. In fact, he had seen some similar symptoms in the nights suffering from heatstroke. He cast the spell.

Loki looked healthier, and a little bluer, in moments. He was sitting up straighter, and his eyes no longer shone quite so bright.

_There you have it, Merlin._

Merlin sighed. “I don’t think you should be so certain that I am your salvation.”

_Are you not salvation of everything magic?_

Merlin’s face went stony and blank. “It certainly makes people feel better to assume so, no matter what seems to actually happen.” He muttered, then said louder, “Do you have another spell to try?”

Loki did. He seemed an endless well of knowledge, perfectly willing to teach.

_You feel burdened, don’t you? I know the impossible weight of purpose._

And listen.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur came back from his third trip out. “We may have a problem.” Mordred mumbled sleepily from the ground. Gwen chewed her bottom lip. “This land seems to be one full of magic.”

“Mordred would be able to lead us safe through it, then?”

“I cannot imagine the druids having anything to do with these summoned monstrosities roaming the streets. This is surely a tyrannical rule.”

Mordred pulled himself heavily into a sitting position. “I will lay down my life to protect you sire.” He said, then veered sideways. “Uh, have we food?”

“We have room and board, if you can stand. I seemed that even far years away, the world still accepts gold.” He grasped Mordred's arm and hauled him to his feet.

The inn was nicer than anything Arthur had stayed in before. He would say the rooms they were given were nicer than his own, if it were not so small. The single man at the desk was not a quality man, however. He glanced up at Arthur as he entered and said nothing, only because his fingers were well greased with a gold coin.

The rooms he bought were right next to each other, one with a single bed, and one with two. All the beds were only slightly wider than the one he remembered in Merlin’s room.

“We will rest here for a while and gain bearings. This inn serves food and will be our base of operations for now.” Arthur said. “Mordred, rest here tonight and in the morning, you will try to send Guinevere home.”

“He will do no such thing,” Gwen said. “Mordred, you need our strength for when we find Merlin and, inevitably, that sorcerer.” Mordred looked apologetically at Arthur. Arthur sighed loud and growling.

“Guinevere, I need you safe—”

“I will stay safe. I won’t walk into danger, and I will stay with you. You can’t expect me to jeopardise your whole quest do you?” Arthur shook his head, and lifted his head, as though to stroke her cheek. She caught it half way and smiled. “And you forget so often how well I wield a sword.“ Arthur sighed.

“I try to forget; you shouldn’t—” she swatted him.

“Silence, your majesty.” She said.  He sighed again. Mordred tried to stare at the floor and forget he was in the same room.

“We will stay together.” Arthur said after a long moment.

_-o0O0o-_

Tony Stark ignored the first several phone vibrations, and two attempts by Jarvis to let him know his phone was buzzing before Bruce Banner’s glare finally did him in.

“Right, sorry. Forgot some of the more uptight members of the human race have problems with unanswered messages.”

“It could be Avengers news. You know were the only ones available—”

“The only ones available right now, yes. I know. Starting to dislike SHEILD’s  employee benefits. Terrible with the vacation days. I might start having to use my sick days.”

“Just answer the phone, Tony.” Bruce said without looking up from the laptop he was using. Tony rolled his eyes and walked away carelessly, swinging his phone in front of his face.

“Jarvis! Who called?” He said instead. Bruce snorted.

“You have two missed calls from a disposable phone most likely belonging to SHIELD. One text message from a phone you gave to Director Fury to use. And one from the phone you gave to agent Barton. There is a high chance both phones are being used by Director Fury.” Bruce sighed. Tony waggled his eyebrows.

“What did I do?” Tony said.

“You turned off the police radio. You might remember I told you it was a bad idea.”

“You didn’t stop me.” Tony smirked.

“I thought you might answer your phone. I see now I’ve been proven wrong.” Bruce said dryly. “Don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“See that… you don’t…” Tony muttered, dragging his finger from message to message on the phone. “There is some guy on the street chopping cars in half with a sword. That’s new. You want me to deal with it?”

“Yes.” Tony sighed loudly and walked off.

Jarvis directed him as he flew through the streets of New York City. The scene of the first car chopping was entertaining. He decided it was entertaining because no one was even injured and the car was not in fact chopped. “Jarvis, call Director Fury.”

“Director Fury is on the line Mr. Stark.”

“Hey! Hey, I got called all the way over here for a car that was chopped in half. This car,” he gave it a kick with a titanium gold alloy covered foot. “This car has been exploded. No, wait. Stabbed, then exploded.”

“You’ll have to forgive my exaggeration, Stark.” He could hear the eye roll. “I wanted your ass on the street catching the man running around stabbing his sword in motherfucking everything.”

“Mm, I think that’s a problem for a different team of sexy super heroes. Bad use of avengers resources—”

“Stark, move your ass before someone gets hurt.”

To his honest surprise, the second unfortunate car accident only had one casualty: the car. Also run through with a blade. This time, the wheels and down one side. There wasn’t any great strength he could see in the damage. Skill, maybe. And so deep-seated loathing of metal transportation devices.

“Jarvis, I’m bored.“

“I have called Mr. Banner for you.”

“Mm, good one. Hey Doc.”

“Are you calling for help?” Bruce sounded slightly concerned over the phone. Mostly distracted. He was not as good at multitasking, but that was fine by Tony. There were already too many multitasking Avengers.

“Nah, just tracking the guy. He’s not making any big scene until he goes car killing, so it’s not as mind-numbingly easy as usual.”

“Are you even trying?”

“Not really. All signs point to your average human who hates cars and found a big knife. Not so much Avengers territory. Car stabbing is funny though.”

“Mm, until it’s your car.” Bruce said.

“Aww! Don’t say that, now you’ve jinxed it. I’m going to lose a car now. You suck.”

“Yes… what?” Tony heard rustling. “So why don’t you let the police handle it?”

“That’s a good question. The answer is apparently, cars, swords, Fury, and you.”

“Hmmm. Good. You do that, Tony.” Tony rolled his eyes and flew up high. He saw two more points, one after another, of smoke rising up. Looks like the dastardly car stabber preferred the cars to go up in flames.

He followed, figured the incidents all together, and veered off to where he suspected this old fashioned serial car murderer to be.

“Wow. I gotta say,” Tony landed on the ground, stepping a few feet heavily forward. “When I was told swords, I didn’t actually expect, you know, renaissance faire and all.” There were three people in front of him, all human, he was sure. Two had on actual honest to god armor on, swords, daggers and capes. The third, a long gown straight out of a history textbook.

“Stay back, monster.” The closest said. Blondie, pretty young. Younger than him, anyway.

“Look, I ain’t a bad guy. I say you put down the old timey weapons, and wait for the police. I’ll vouch for you, say you just really hate cars and have a mental affliction or something.”

“Arthur,” The girl was speaking, whispering, but Jarvis picked it up and enhanced it. She was cute. Gorgeous really. Too bad she was nuts. “It speaks, we may be able to reason with it.” She looked up at him. “Hello?” She called out.

“I can hear you, babe.” Blondie growled and brandished his sword. “But wow, really, it? Def not an ‘it’. I’m a ‘he’. Way to be politically correct.” She looked confused.

“Monster, back way and I will not run you through…” Blondie growled. Tony shook his head.

“Look, I need to stop you before you start stabbing people instead of cars.” He held both his hands up in a passive gesture. Well, on most people it would be. His hands were armed, but it was the thought that counted. “For realsies, I’ll talk to people. You’ll get good head doctors.”

“I will not let your _head_ _dockers_ near them.” Blondie said. Tony sighed. Jarvis made a throat clearing noise.

“Sir, I believe you should take a look at the sword.” Tony hummed and Jarvis sent specs and some very odd readings up in front of his eyes.

“Well, now. So what are you, baby Asgardians?” He followed, carefully, as they backed away down the side street. His headset blinked. “Mm you don’t want to go that way. Dead end.”

“Sire…” The quiet mini knight said. “I could.”

“Not yet. Not unless we have to.”

“Sire, it’s a giant walking suit of armor. ” Blondie growled again.

“You should know I can hear you. Hurts my feelings when people talk about me like that. Anyway, there is definitely another way out of this—”

“Fine! Get us out of here!” Blondie barely had the words out of his mouth when the mini-knight threw up his arm, right at Tony, very much the way Tony aims his hands when he’s about to attack. He threw up his arms and when flying back. Tony dug his heels into the ground, gritting his teeth.

“Wait. Stop! Oh god dammit.” The force was gone, and so were his targets. He sighed.

“Sir, should I call for back up?”

“No. Way.” Tony said. “Though actually, if you want to let Fury know, we are gonna need Thor down here to grab some of his own back to Asgard. In like. Half an hour, tops.”

“Excellent, sir.” Tony took off to the sky and scanned the surrounding blocks. He finds the three running off, quite close by and flies after them.

“He-ey,  not so—” They vanish in a whirlwind of smoke. “…Fast.”

_-o0O0o-_

“How’d it go?” Bruce didn’t look like he had moved from his spot at the table, except that there was now a sandwich next to him. Tony pouted.

“Asgardian magic. Probably. They were sort of short, to be honest. But the sword…” Bruce looked up, eyebrows raised.

“Please don’t tell me Loki somehow got out.”

“What? No, Loki isn’t a small Asgardian. He’s just a small Frost whatever.” Bruce nodded for him to continue. “These guys, there were three of them. They just looked human. Not even super human. Just. Human.”

“Couldn’t they be just human?” Tony hummed.

“Well, yeah. They could. Crazy car hating humans. But two of them… One guy had a sword, which you know I would be laughing about normally, because.  A sword, man. But it was giving off some strange readings. Not cube readings. Not meow-meow readings. Just, weird. The other guy did, I don’t know. I’m about to have Jarvis put up the visuals.” He waved a hand and a screen came down and lit up.

“They look pretty human. And, uh. Out of place.” Bruce said, watching Blondie and Mini-knight argue.

“Shhh, this is it.“ Tony flapped his wrist at Bruce. The camera was shaken up, understandably, but they could both see Mini-knight standing tall with his arm outstretched, eyes glowing gold.

“Okay, maybe not human.” Bruce said.

_-o0O0o-_

None of the spells were making any headway. Merlin raised his eyebrow at Loki, mouth tight. Loki was looking out the window at the midday sun, at something Merlin couldn’t see, or wasn’t there.

“I did try to warn you.”

_Don’t doubt yourself now, Merlin. If my entrapment were between us alone, I know I would be fine. However, I was put in this position by another, and I am hunted._

Merlin groaned, but tried to swallow it. “Have you anything _else_ that I should know first?” Loki’s eye’s crinkled.

_My apologies. I am distracted._

Merlin sat back, and watched Loki’s typing. “Who is after you?”

_I was a prince, where I came from. A prince fed lies from my very birth. The man who calls himself my brother would keep me imprisoned._

“Your brother?” Merlin said. Loki nodded.

_He was not really my brother. As I told you, I am a Frost Giant. He was as a brother to me though. Once._

“I’m… I’m sorry. Why, though?”

 _Why would your King have you burned, if he knew?_ Merlin flinched. Loki put a cold hand on his shoulder. _I do know how you feel. When I have power again, I will help you._

“There is no way to help me. ” Merlin swallowed and shook his head. “I know a few spells to cover tracks, to distract…”

_I will teach you others. We need different strategies for these different foes._

He showed Merlin how to make himself imperceptible, to throw off his scent in more ways than Merlin understood.

“What do you mean by, by _readings_?“ Merlin tilted his head, trying rather hard to understand how books would directly affect their freedom. (Loki’s freedom, he reminded himself.)

_Think of it as a scent, if they could smell magic. Your magic, my magic. This spell makes us ‘smell’ different._

“Your brother can _smell_ magic…” Merlin said. Loki shook his head and help out his response.

He has allies, and devices that can smell all the particular things about us that make us unique.

“He can track us without witnesses or footprints.” Merlin felt awe. This whole world he had been thrown into seemed impossibly above him. He was a leaf in a stream to everything, everyone here.

_Not with this spell. They would find us only by accident. By the time they would, I will be free and gone._

“And so will I.” Loki nodded. Merlin cast the spells, voice deep and powerful, eyes gold.

_-o0O0o-_

Mordred leaned against the wall and breathed deeply. He looked skyward and took in the red stone and grey metal buildings. He didn’t know where they were, one part of the city looked much like the rest. He only knew that they had to stay in the area and that they needed to escape the flying suit of armor.

“Guinevere, you are unharmed?” He looked down to see Arthur speaking. He and the queen looked whole and healthy. He watched her nod. And Arthur turned to him.

“I’m fine, sire. Transportation is much less tiring.” Arthur nodded.

“This city is dangerous… Mad. Is there any way to know if Merlin is even still alive?” Gwen frowned at Arthur. Mordred nodded slowly.

“I can… try to speak with him. To his mind.” He said slowly. “If I can, I may be able to find out where he is.” Arthur flapped a wrist at him.

“Go on, then, Mordred.” Mordred closed his eyes and reached out. For a split second he felt something and grasped at it. Abruptly he felt like a war horn had been blown in his face and tossed him to the ground. His eyes shot open.

Arthur and Gwen crowded up next to him and pulled him to his feet. “Are you alight?!“

Mordred blinked. Someone was hiding Merlin with magic. He said as much. Arthur rumbled.

“This bleeding place… There is nothing good about it.” Gwen patted Arthur’s arm, and looked at Mordred.

“Were you able to discover anything?” Mordred nodded, distracted. Was it Merlin’s own magic that he felt? I thought he would know it anywhere, but the spell was like nothing he’d ever touched. Sharp as blade and cold and hard. Merlin’s magic was most often smoky, hot, ethereal even. “What did you find?”

“I…” Mordred shook his head. “Something is hiding him, but I know where the thing hiding him is.” He twisted, standing properly and faced out into the city. “There. That direction.”

Arthur looked very grim, and unsheathed his sword. Gwen cleared her throat. “I thought we might try something a bit… different.”

 

A few hours later found Arthur and Mordred pulling strange shirts—made of fabric with seemingly endless give—on next to a pile of their armor. Gwen, in a swishy, incredibly light skirt and shirt, she scooped up the armor carefully into the large packs they had acquired. She felt a bit bad for the people they had knocked out and essentially robbed, but it was for  worthy cause, and she had promised their unconscious bodies to return everything after.

Arthur shouldered the back on. It clanged a bit, and was armor heavy, but it would have to do. He and Mordred both kept their sword strapped to their sides. “I feel naked in this.”

“I promise you don’t look naked.” Gwen said soothingly. “We will be less noticeable like this.”

“I think she’s right. I saw no one wearing anything so much as chainmail.” He shivered. “It is awfully cold without my cape, though.”

“Camelot red might be too much.” Arthur said. “We’ll try to find him quickly. God, only Merlin can cause this much trouble.” He started off down the street and Mordred and Gwen followed.

Soon Gwen was leading and holding back the men from the fast moving metal monsters. They discovered, to Gwen’s great relief, the monsters didn’t leave the great stone path. They acted much like carriages, actually. Though she conceded they were much more violent than carriages, no matter how frisky horses got.

“What if they are… tame?” Arthur looked over at her. “The metal beasts I mean. It just, I thought they seemed a lot like carriages. Do you suppose they are like horses?”

“I don’t want to know.” Arthur said and marched on.

Mordred paused a moment and tried to reach out to Merlin again. Prepared against the barrier, he wasn’t thrown off his feet, but he couldn’t get through either. It still felt like Merlin’s magic. The cold blue eyes he saw in the vision.

Then he frowned. “Your majesties, stop!” They turned to look at him, Arthur was looking very close to stabbing something. “He’s moved.”

And so began the most trying wild goose chase that Mordred ever had the misfortune to be involved in.

_-o0O0o-_

Thor came down in lightning, and all of the computers in the tower turned off.

“Hey! Thunderer! Can you not come world hopping in quite that way?” Tony growled. He slid open a wall panel and pressed the reboot sequence into the keypad. “You are known as the Thunderer. Can’t you thunder on down to earth instead of lightning down? Lightning-ing…”

“My apologies, Man of Iron. It is under grave circumstances that I visit you, now.” Tony looked over and Bruce frowned, pulling away from the roof rail.

“You don’t mean our message about the small Asgardians, do you?”

Thor blinked. “Small Asgardians? I must have passed by your message in my haste. I do not recall.” Tony tilted his head.

“Then… why did you come in such hasty haste?”

“Please don’t say Loki.” Bruce muttered under his breath.

“I fear my brother has gone missing from his prison, friends.” Thor said, loud and grave. Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Both Tony’s eyebrow shot straight up.

“You know, I’m starting to lose confidence in your prison systems.” He said. Thor nodded sagely.

“Loki is a slippery one. He should be weakened, however. Surely unable to hide himself for your systems of location?”

Tony turned on his heel and marched back down stairs, calling out to Jarvis as he went. Thor walked after, and Bruce nearly ran to match his long strides.

“Tell me, what are these Small Asgardians of which you speak?” Thor said. “Do you believe they could be a part of Loki’s schemes?”

“Yeah, well, the Asgardian hypothesis is old news. Pretty sure they’re human. Natasha came in this morning and tracked them down. They are sleeping off her… her-ness in some secure rooms downstairs. They have a sword, though. It might be Asgardian.”

“I will look.” Thor said.

“One of them also glows,” Bruce waved at his own face. “In the eyes.”

“Most unusual.”

“Mm,” Tony swayed in dubious agreement. “Debatable around here. But hey, Jarvis is running checks for the evil twin; we might as well show you.” He side stepped suddenly down a different hallway, then into a small lab.

In the center of the room, a long, beautiful sword rested on the table. Everything around it seemed dimmer in its presence. Thor hummed in approval and lifted it.

“It’s a beautifully made weapon,” he said. “But friends, it is a mortal make. No elves or dwarves or blacksmiths of Asgard made this.” He turned it over. “But there is something… Ah! This is an enchanted sword. Forged in some magic flame. I would have to ask an expert to know the nature of the flame. It is quite a weapon for your vagrants. They must be impressive indeed. ‘Tis a pity they have chosen the way of dishonor.”

“Well, car stabbing.” Tony said. “Mostly car stabbing, and maybe a little general craziness. Hey, any possibility that this sword causes the crazies?” Bruce elbowed him in the side.

“I cannot tell you the precise skills of this weapon.” Thor said, placing it down. “I can say that it does not give off the ill feel like that spear Loki used before. This weapon seems free of that.”

“Thank god, I thought I might need to leave the room.” Bruce said. “If that’s the case, then I don’t see why we can’t talk to our guests when they wake.”

“If I may interrupt,” Jarvis said. “Your guests have awoken. They have some choice words to share.”

Tony grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

Bruce winced. It was immediately noticeable when they came to the first of the rooms by the yelling. “That’s Blondie.” Tony said.

“Is it?” Bruce asked.

“Yep. I want to talk to the pretty nut. You can take Blondie. Thor you can talk to the glowing Mini-knight.”

“Pardon?”

“How about you talk to Blondie. I’ll talk to the young lady.” Bruce said. Tony looked about to object, but Bruce ignored him and walked into the last door.

He sort of regretted it when a lamp broke over his head and Jarvis closed the door after him. He stood very still and peeked an eye open.

“Could you not? It’s very important that you not.”

“Let me go.” The girl said. She was dressed differently than the video Tony recorded.

“I want to talk to you first. Then maybe we can help you.” He said, trying to smile soothingly. The breathed a sigh of relief when she lowered the mangled lamp.

“I don’t know how we came to be here.” She said carefully. He wanted to say her accent was the same as Thor’s but it wasn’t. It felt old, like Thor’s, but not the same.

“Can you clarify? Do you mean, how you came to be in the city, or this room?”

“The, the room, sorry.” She cleared her room and stood straighter, shoulders back. “Tell me how I came to be in this room.”

“A charming woman known as the Black Widow. She brought you here because,” She had gotten irritated with Tony and him and took things into her own hands. “You really shouldn’t be stabbing cars and, uh. Stripping people.”

She blushed. “We do not mean to cause trouble, we were defending ourselves.”

“From the _cars_?” Bruce raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, tucking his hands in the crooks of his arms.

“Those are the quick metal beasts in the road?” Bruce nodded. “It may have been preemptive.” Bruce nodded again, and she sighed. “It is possible that it was a misunderstanding. But please, understand, this year, it is a thousand years from when we lived. It is… very different.”

“You’re time travellers?” He shook his head, a little awed. “From the _past_?” Slowly, she nodded. “Uh, excuse me a minute. I’ll be back. Ask Jarvis—um ask the wall—you know what? Never mind.” He walked out.

Tony was leaning on the wall. Pepper had come to join them and was cleaning a cut on Tony’s face.

“He’s mean.” Tony said. “Like, so not personable.”

“You’ll survive. They’re time travellers. From the past.” Pepper looked very interested.

“Not possible.”

“She seems to think so.”

“She’s nuts.” Bruce shook his head.

“I really don’t think so. She acts like Thor does, like Steve does.” Tony stood and swaggered.

“We would be so far more advanced than we are, so far more advanced that it is pretty much incalculable.”

“She—they might be from one of the other worlds then. Not Asgard but,” Bruce waved a hand. “There were nine of them. I’m afraid I don’t know them all.”

“Midgard, Asgard, Vanaheim, Jotunheim, Alfheim, Hel, Svartalfaheim, Niflheim, Muspellsheim.” Tony said.

“They are mortals of Midgard.” Thor said. Bruce covered a snicker with his hand.

“They are lost, but here for a reason. I’m going to help, I just wanted to know if you knew how they came from past to future.”

“They took the crazy train.” Tony said. Thor put a hand on his shoulder.

“I do not believe they took a train, Man of Iron. I believe they used magic.”

“Fantastic…” Tony muttered. Bruce walked back in the other room.

The young woman looked up at him when he entered. She tried to smile at him, and he offered a smile back.

“Tell me about your problem?” he said. She nodded, and sighed, and nodded again.

“We are looking for a man, a friend. He was stolen from home by magic to… here and now.”

“From a thousand years ago.” Gwen nodded.

“More, I think. We are trying to find him and take him home.”

“Any luck?”

“Mordred, says he’s here, but that he is hidden.” Bruce nodded. “Will you tell me your name?”

“Oh, I’m Bruce Banner.” He help out a hand, his other still tucked against his side. She put her hand in his.

“Guinevere. You can call me Gwen. Oh, well, maybe not. Have you seen anything odd? A, a tall man kidnapping anyone?”

“Afraid not, but we can look. Tell me what your friend looks like. Jarvis can try and find him.”

Gwen smiled and sat forward. “His name is Merlin. He’s this tall,” She held a hand up. “He has short black hair and big ears. His skin is pale like Mordred’s.” She went on, describing whatever she could think of, Bruce nodding from time to time.

Then she sighed. “That’s all I can think of. I would like to see my husband, now.”

Bruce blinked, then waved her over. “Yes . Why not.” Jarvis thankfully let them both out. She followed him like very nervous royalty, back straight, steps measured and graceful, and eyes flickering around taking in everything.

“Tony,”

“She’s out. You know she’s following you right?”

“Tony we can put them all in a room together, right?” Tony rolled his eyes.

“Well, yeah I suppose we could. But that means Blondie might hit you over the head.” Gwen glanced from person to person.

“Bring me to Mordred and we will both go to Arthur.” She said. “I will talk to him.”

“Blondie is Arthur?” Tony asked. He laughed. “I was expecting a weirder name, I guess. Thromburrr or something. You here the rrr? Lots of rrr.” He swatted a pad on the wall and a door swung open.

Slowly, the dark haired man crept out, looking suspicious. Gwen ran over and hugged him.

“Your highness,” He said. “Are you alright?” Gwen nodded vigorously.

“It was a misunderstanding. They are going to help up find Merlin.” She turned to Tony. “Open the door to my husband’s cell.”

“Mmhmm, right away, your majesty!” He rapped his knuckles against a different part of the wall, and the last door swung open. Arthur stepped out, slowly, like hunting. Gwen threw herself in his arms and peppered his face with kisses.


	3. Chapter 3

“Loki, someone is looking for us.” Merlin said. They sat in one of the impossibly tall buildings that Merlin had seen out the window. The room was practically opulent, and Merlin had thought that first two inns were of a higher quality than he’d ever been to.

This was the stuff of royalty, he was sure. Loki had only said when he brought them there that he was looking for a change in scenery. Merlin still isn’t sure he likes being so far off the ground. The building didn’t fly. He didn’t know how they would get out if they had to run.

Merlin whispered another spell, hands on Loki’s face, over his mask. Loki lounged against the head board of the massive bed. He was flicking through his phone. It did more than communicate, Merlin was learning. It had games and was actually quite interesting, and he wanted one.

 _Do you know spells for finding?_ Merlin blinked and backed away from the screen in his face. He sat back at the edge of the bed.

“I… can see things in crystals sometimes. I don’t try to. What has that to do with people are _looking_ for us?” Loki nodded and his fingers danced over the letters. The next message had a phonetic spell on it. Merlin smiled wryly at him. “I’ve nothing to find.”

_Close your eyes._

Merlin rolled them first but obeyed. Loki tapped him after a moment.

 _Find the phone._ Loki typed, on entirely different phone. Merlin tilted his head at it and blinked.

Slowly he raised his hand and said the finding spell. Then said it again when nothing happened.

It was the same as how he saw when he threw his vision ahead of him, except that he didn’t control the direction. The vision led him under the bed on the other side, and a glowing phone lying on the ground. Then suddenly his vision was normal again.

Merlin walked around the bed and crouched own. The phone was there. “Can I do that with, with anything?”

_With enough power, yes. You can find anything, anywhere. It is hard to have enough power to find something far away and under spells of hiding._

“Like we are.”

_It would be hard to find us, even with magic. It is unlikely they are using magic as you know it._

Loki smirked at him after Merlin’s eyes stopped tracking the letters; he typed again.

_The phone is yours. It will not work long in Camelot, but it will work here._

“…Thank you.” Loki waved a hand flippantly, then gestured for Merlin to sit again.

 _I reward those who help me._ The phone said. _Now, watch._

Merlin watched as Loki finished his message, then went to a different view that Merlin hadn’t seen before. He typed again, the word _Smith_ , and pressed another spot—button, he reminded himself—and the whole thing folded up and vanished.

Merlin’s new phone buzzed like a bee and he dropped it. “Ah! Did you cast a spell on it?!” Loki smirked under his mask and held up the buzzing phone. He made sure that Merlin was watching, then pressed the screen. The words ‘ _Now, watch_.’ were on Merlin’s phone.

“How… Never mind. Technology and magic.” Loki nodded. “Can I do that?” Loki nodded again and showed Merlin how to open the messages. From there, it looked the same as what Loki had, and Merlin knew what to do.

“What is Smith?”

_A common name. So that it is not known who you are truly speaking to._

Merlin nodded and looked down at the phone in his lap. It was smooth as glass and he found that he like to stroke it like a pet.

“Thank you, Loki.”

 _Shall we continue?_   Was the response. That spell and the next didn’t remove the mask either.

_-o0O0o-_

Tony, Pepper, Bruce, and Thor sat around a table with Gwen, Arthur, and Mordred. Arthur still glared at everyone suspiciously, but was surprising civil. Gwen took it upon herself to act as mediator.

“Yeah, I just have one pretty big question.” Tony said and leaned forward. He slid an image of Loki across the table to them. “Was that the guy?”

The three of them leaned over to look, and talked quietly. Gwen admits that she hadn’t been looking in that direction until Merlin was already mostly vanished. Mordred says he was.

“That’s him. The sorcerer. Except.” Mordred examined the picture. “He didn’t look this young or healthy.”

“It is an older image.” Thor said, nodding. “But you are sure? My brother took your friend?”

Tony coughed “Probably shouldn’t tout the family relationship,” into his fist.

“I’m sure it’s him. I was looking right at Merlin when he was taken.” He remembered the look of shock that only lasted a split second, and then he was gone.

Arthur grumbled and slammed his palm flat on the table. Pepper jumped. Bruce sighed. Tony snickered and elbowed Thor in the ribs. “What does he want with Merlin?”

Thor shook his head. “His plans are often murky. Ultimately, I suspect he wants revenge—not against your small man, against the Avengers.”

“And what part does Merlin play in this?” Thor shook his head.

“Is there any way that we, all together here, weren’t supposed to work together? Maybe he wanted them to think we took him?” Pepper said. Thor shook his head again. Tony wondered if this was going to be a dizzy and negative day for him.

“Loki is both personal in his vengeance, and doubting in the skills of the mortal man. He would not believe you had the skill to do us any harm, friends.”

“Hell, I bet he didn’t think you would time travel to find him. I know I wouldn’t have thought of that.” Tony said.

“Then what?” Gwen asked. Mordred bit his lip. “What reason could he possibly have for taking Merlin?”

Bruce glanced at Thor, then Tony. “Last time he was here, he had a staff that took control of people’s minds. Well, until you got a good hit on their head. He took people that had the skills to help him complete his plans.”

“He no longer has the power to turn men’s minds.” Thor said.

“But maybe he is still after people with the right skills.” Arthur snorts.

“Then he has grabbed the wrong man. Merlin is a servant. He can’t do much.” Mordred tried not to squirm in his seat and said.

“I don’t think Merlin would help anyway. He is… not as helpful as he used to be.”

“I might not be a matter of choice.” Bruce said softly. “Perhaps he can’t control your friend, but what choice would he have but to help when the alternative is to be stranded in the future, far from home?”

Arthur stood suddenly. “Then help us find him, and you will have your brother, and Merlin will see the alternative.”

 

Jarvis, the magic talking wall servant, told them when he found some sighting of Merlin. Tony jumped up from his seat and chattered nonsense at the wall. He came back with a small image, like the one of Merlin’s kidnapper.

“This him?” Tony said and slid it towards Arthur.

Arthur lifted it. It was not a clear and portrait-like image like Loki’s but more as though Tony had stolen a moment out of time. It was not too close, and Merlin was turning away. He was dressed differently, and alone, carrying something that Arthur thought looked like a tray of food.

“It’s him.”

“Right, this is from about twenty minutes ago. Ritzy hotel, on—” he looked at Arthur, Gwen and Mordred watching him. “You know, it really doesn’t matter where. I’ll point. Bruce, you want to introduce them to the nice side of the cars they’ve been stabbing?”

“Sure,”

“Right, Thor, you’re with me. I’m suiting up. Pepper—” she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Yes, that. Exactly. You guys. Don’t stab my car.”

Arthur nodded gravely and they followed Bruce down to the garage, while Thor followed Tony to where ever suiting up entailed.

 

“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen anyone who looks like that.” The young lady at the desk said. She looked a little confused by that fact.

“You’re in the picture.” Bruce said carefully.

“Yes, I, I see that. I guess I should have seen him, but I don’t remember.”

Arthur, leaning against the desk sighed. He leaned to say quietly to Bruce. “I suspect your friend’s brother cast some sort of spell on him.”

Bruce nodded and thanked the woman. “You would have thought they would have found a way to stop the magic.”

“I’ve found that sorcerers stop for very little other than death.”

“Thor won’t have his brother killed.”

“And I would have trouble calling for the death of my sister, no matter what she has done.” Arthur said quietly. Gwen and Mordred looked up as they approached. “The woman can’t remember him.” He said louder.

“He’s not here.” Mordred said. Bruce frowned and looked around the room.

“What do you mean, not here? Not here as in never here, or has left?” He asked.

“I… don’t know. Is Tony here? I can point to where I think he is. Perhaps he can find another, ah, not-painting.” Bruce held up his smartphone to Mordred.

“Say it again? He’ll hear you.”

Mordred glanced around, then said carefully. “Merlin isn’t here.”

“Wow, kid moves fast.” The phone said in Tony’s voice. They jumped and Bruce tried not to smile.

“I can tell what direction he is in.” Mordred said. “He’s uh, ” he leaned back a little and tried to look out the window. “Due south of this establishment. I think.”

“Jarvis, I need you to do an image search of… they are staying in hotels a lot aren’t they? Yeah, those.”

“Of course sir.” Mordred stared at the phone with all its voices. “I have found a matching image.”

Merlin wasn’t there either by the time they arrived.

_-o0O0o-_

“Loki, we are being _hunted_.” Merlin squeezed his hands into fists and relaxed them again. He made sparks fly from his fingertips.

_We are. I thought this may happen._

“Sorry, I wasn’t fast enough—” he felt magic like lightning try to flee his body and took a breath. Too often he was too slow.

 _This can be to our advantage._ Merlin read _. Merlin, you think too linearly. To do a task, you complete it. But there are other ways._

“What, trick your captors into releasing you? Don’t you think they would be wary of that?”

 _While I don’t think very highly of their intelligence, surely they wouldn’t fall for the same trick for a fourth time._ Loki smirked and his eyes crinkled. Merlin tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow.

 _I have pretended to be caught in order to escape them before._ Loki said. _What I have in mind is a little different._

“Me?” Loki nodded.

_You must escape._

“How are they even coming so close? My spells,” Loki held the phone under his nose and Merlin took a hasty step back.

_They work fine. Do not lessen yourself. You are powerful, and deserve to be treated with respect and admiration._

Merlin looked dubious. “I’ve heard that before.” He said quietly. “The man was trying to possess me.”

_I have no need to possess you. A Frost Giant body is more suitable to me than the body of a mortal._

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Still, if my spells work as well as you say, how are your enemies coming so close?”

Loki made a very dry expression and held his phone out to the side for Merlin to see.

_There is a Man of Iron, and he is very, very annoying._

Merlin laughed despite himself.

 

Loki quirked an eyebrow at Iron Man when he flew up to hover outside the window, hand out-stretched and glowing. The door flew open and Thor stomped in, looking sad and livid, as usual. He was followed by Bruce Banner and Loki’s other eyebrow shot up. He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

“Brother, don’t not cause us trouble. Come quietly—what is that?”

“That’s a phone, Thor. You’ve seen them before.” Bruce said.

“Careful.” Tony’s voice echoed from his suit’s speaker systems. “I saw a Batman movie once where they blew the phone up.”

Bruce walked over and took the phone.

_I suppose this means vacation is over?_

“Uh, yes. Yes, usually when you kidnap people, then vacation is over.”

“You are speaking through the capabilities of the phone because you cannot speak! I am very impressed at this ingenuity, brother.” Loki leveled a dry look at his brother. He waved a hand for the phone back.

 _You are an idiot._ Bruce didn’t read that one out before handing it back.

“Come quietly, and it will hurt less.” He said. He drummed his fingers on his bicep.

“We’re still gonna be suspicious, though. I mean, wow, what an original plan.”

_I am not here to rule you stupid mortals. I just hate Asgard._

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “So you kidnapped someone.” Loki sighed melodramatically. The air rattled through his mask.

_Why do you think I kidnapped someone? Does it look like anyone else is here?_

“We have witnesses, you grabbed some poor sucker and vanished.”

_I don’t have the strength for such things as vanishing, much less with another person. Ask Thor._

“He should not…” Thor said dubiously. “But you have been using magic, Loki. You have hidden yourself, and in fact vanished for several buildings.”

 _I walked, fool. I did not vanish_. Bruce apologized quietly for the insult after reading it.

“And you hid yourself with magic.” Tony said. Loki rolled his eyes.

_That is not at the same level of skill and strength. Not that anyone here would understand._

“Oh but we have a weird little magician guy we can run that by.” Tony said. “In fact, he’s been listening and he says… Well, okay, he says that hiding yourself is a tiny simple thing, provided it isn’t uh…” He paused, listening. “True invisibility. Which apparently different than other invisibilities. Is there a fake invisible. Are fake invisible people just idiots?”

Thor looked lost and Bruce cleared his throat.

“Yes, anyway, apparently teleportation takes a great deal of magic. And time travel… ” Tony grumbled. “Time travel should have been impossible.”

Loki now looked as lost as Thor. He tossed the phone to Bruce.

_Time travel? What in the nine realms are you blabbering on about? Am I to have searched the future for my key to freedom?_

Loki shook his head. His shoulders shook slightly from silent laughter.

_I want to cause my brother and father trouble. No more. In this state, I prefer their fool faces to those of the Chitauri, if you don’t mind._

Bruce glanced up at the others, offering the phone back to Loki. He shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

_-o0O0o-_

Merlin leaned on the wall outside, bundled in several layers of coat, and a scarf. He typed slow responses on the phone to Loki.

_Are you in one piece_

_Yes, I went peacefully, so they saw no need to harm me. Merlin, they know you are here. I do not know how, yet. Do take care._

Merlin shivered and looked around the slowly darkening skies. He didn’t want to know what would happen to him if he was caught by these people. He had no old bond like Loki had with his brother that might spare his life.

_I wont_

_Find shelter for now. We will see how much can be discovered about this mask._

_What will you do once you are free what will you do to your brother_

_He is the least of my concerns._

Merlin pulled away from the wall and walked down the street. Then he vanished.

 

Loki watched from inside his glass room. When Stark came in, he held his phone against the glass.

_You rebuilt it. Does your Hulk know that?_

“He told us to. It’s better than before, did you know that?”

_I figured as much. You ants do so love such things._

“Thought we got you over that whole ants thing when we kicked your _ass_.” Stark said. Loki shrugged.

_Not so. What will you do with me?_

“Thor’s getting a portal ready for the both of you. You’re going back to Asgard.”

_Glad to know you’ve stopped your childish drivel on about kidnappings._

“He’s how we found you, you know. So what did you do? Just scare the kid into bringing you food? Oh wait.”

Loki gave him a dry look. Stark laughed because he could hate Loki sometimes, and he didn’t know why Thor didn’t.

“Anyway, we don’t need you to find him, that’s all.”

_I’m starting to think you stumbled upon me purely by accident. How droll._

“I’m thinking of sending Natasha in here though.”

_I won’t talk to her._

Stark laughed again and left.

 

“Does he speak to you?” Arthur said, only a few rooms away. Tony shook his head.

“Nope. Didn’t expect him to. I just like to point and laugh.”

“Your Jarvis says he is finding nothing.” Arthur walked beside him down the halls.

“That’s a little weird, actually. I mean, I already knew that, I just wanted you to know it’s weird.”

“Mordred says he lives.”

“Maybe Mordred and do his point and find magic again.” Arthur shook his head. He and Jarvis had been speaking, trying to find him, but whatever barriers that were blocking Mordred had become very large and covered too.

“It has been no use.” Arthur said.

“Maybe you can use your magic sword.”

“Excalibur isn’t magic. It’s just special.” Tony raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, how is it special?”

“It can only be retrieved by the one meant to rule.” Arthur said, quite proudly.

“Two questions, how’s that not magic, and what do you do once it’s been retrieved? Because that thing’s been swung around be more than just you.”

“Because it isn’t! Blessed, maybe, but not magic. And I never said it can be wielded only be me. I suppose it was more of an omen.”

Tony rolled his eyes. ”Hey, whatever lets you sleep at night, man.”

Mordred and Gwen looked up when they entered. They were sitting on chairs pulled over to the wall, under one of Jarvis’s control panels.

“Sire, there’s been nothing.” Mordred didn’t meet his eyes, as he hadn’t for a while now. Arthur put a firm hand on his shoulder.

“It is no fault of yours, Mordred. You have been nothing but the best of my men since we arrived in this time.” Mordred nodded.

_-o0O0o-_

 _They plan to bring me to Asgard tonight._ Merlin glanced down at his phone and kept walking. The building he made his slow way around was very tall, taller than the surrounding building, but not the tallest he’d seen in this city.

He wandered around it, invisible to passers-by.

_Not really any time to find out about the mask then_

_To my great irritation._

_Ill get you now then_

_Good. I’ll be waiting_. Merlin fluffed up his coat and strode inside.

It was somewhat busy on the ground floor. So far as he could tell, it was open to anyone coming off the streets. He headed for the stairs.

The stairs only went up partly so far as he needed to go. He texted Loki.

_I have to use the metal box I dont want to use the metal box_

The reply he got was not one he’d seen before. Merlin carefully pressed the only option there seemed to be: Retrieve. A tiny image appeared on the screen, like he was looking through a crystal. He thought he might be for a moment, but the visions in the crystals moved. This was very still.

It was a picture of a room. Once he had seen it, he could appear there, Loki had told him. Merlin swallowed. He took a deep breath, and made sure his guards were still up. He closed his eyes and thought about the image, imagined he was standing there. He whispered a spell.

The temperature was abruptly different, and the floor was a little bit lower than Merlin thought and he fell. A hand pulled him to his feet and urged him to continue. Merlin placed both hands on Loki’s shoulders and spoke the spell again. He heard the door slam open and flinched. Then they were gone.

_-o0O0o-_

Arthur stood by Mordred, neither knowing what to do. They stared at the spot where Merlin had vanished with Loki.

They were nearly thrown into the room when Thor charged in. Bruce came in after and helped Mordred up. Arthur leaned against the wall and accepted Gwen’s worried hand numbly when she followed Bruce in.

The glass panels of the cage were cracked so thoroughly that they were opaque, and bowed outwards.

“He has escaped.” Thor said very loudly.

“Merlin is helping him.” Arthur said. He shook his head, squeezed Gwen’s hand, and stood up straighter. “Loki is controlling him some other way than the spear you spoke of.”

“Loki might just be tricking him,” Bruce said. Arthur shook his head.

“I’m sure he possesses him, or something to that end. Merlin did some spell that vanished them into the air.”

Thor stalked around the room and came back to the group. Bruce raised an eyebrow. “You think he’s doing his magic through your friend,” Arthur nodded, looking grim. Gwen looked distress and glanced at Mordred. She frowned at the look on his face. “Thor, is that possible?”

“I admit, I do not know the limits of my brother’s skills. Surely, though, if he knew how to do this, he would have done it before?”

“Well, he has done it now.” Arthur said.

“Sire…”

“We must catch him and free Merlin.”

“Arthur,” Gwen put a hand on his arm and looked at Mordred. Arthur looked down at her and followed her gaze.

“Mordred. Have you information on this? Have you heard of the like?”

“I. Sire, I think we should sit down?”

 

“This is not my place to say. I swore…” Mordred shook his head, trying not to look at all the faces around him and think how Merlin, who didn’t seem to trust him before, would _ever_ trust him now. “This is for our safety. We shouldn’t go in not knowing.”

“Mordred, get on with it.” Arthur growled. Gwen stepped on his foot.

“Merlin is being tricked, I think. Into helping. Because he is powerful.” Mordred said. “With magic. He is,”

He didn’t know how powerful, only that he _was_ enough that there was a prophesy about him. In Mordred’s weaker, angrier moments, he entertained the thoughts that he was more powerful, and that Merlin looked at him like that because he feared him.

He knew better most of the time. “He is lonely.” He said. “Powerful and lonely, and that is not a good combination.”

Arthur blinked at him. The first words to come to his mouth were you must be joking. But this was not a time to joke, and Mordred was rarely much of a joker anyway. He didn’t let the words leave.

The second words were _Lonely?! How in God’s name is he lonely, surround with friends and family?_ But that wasn’t important right now. Arthur ended up sitting in silence, watching Mordred while he thought until Mordred started to squirm and Gwen stepped on his foot again.

“With magic, you said.” Arthur said abruptly. “Powerful, with magic.” Mordred nodded, looking much more his young age than usual. “Is he so lonely that he would use it against us?”

“He is loyal to you above all else.” Mordred said. Arthur felt a twinge in his heart.

“Then we must let him know that I am here.” Arthur said.

_-o0O0o-_

Merlin frowned, eyebrows furrowed. Loki paced the dim room, clenching and unclenching his hands. His eyes shone with the feverish intensity that Merlin had thought was gone.

He checked his enchantment again, but Loki should have been the right temperature. He wasn’t without the spell so long that he should have gotten very sick again. “If you sit, I’ll have a hand at your face.”

Loki didn’t stop or look at him. He didn’t have a very humorous relationship with Loki anyway.

“If you show me pictures of places far away, surely it would be impossible to catch you.”

Loki paused long enough for Merlin to read his phone. _We do not leave the city._

“Right. No, that would be too easy.” Merlin said. His tone was lost on Loki. He sighed. “Sit, let me try again on your mask.” Merlin sat up when Loki paused. “Here, sit.” He nudged a chair forward with his mind.

Finally, Loki turned to look at him for a very long time. Merlin patted the chair. “Sit, you great idiot.” He sat.

“I know you’re thinking of doing something stupid.” Merlin said. His voice was quiet, his eyes and hands focused on the mask. “I know you… I know that there was a lot of wrong done to you.” His eyes glowed hot and gold for a moment. The mask remained unchanged. “Don’t confront them… When you are free. Just, leave, maybe.”

Loki pulled away, just enough to nod downward and direct Merlin’s tension to his phone. A new spell.

Merlin sighed. “I’m serious. Just, just, don’t. When you’re free, I have to go home. I have an idiot king to take care of.”

_Your king would burn you._

“One day, he won’t. He’ll choose not to.”

 _Is he not just like his father?_ Merlin smiled and shook his head. He gave the new spell several tries before he answered.

“No. No, he isn’t. He still thinks that he should be. But he isn’t.”

_If you return, you’ll die._

“It is my destiny to be at Arthur’ side. You can’t convince me otherwise.” He took a deep breath. He didn’t want to see the same expression of resolve on Loki’s face.

He looked down and saw the phone blinking up at him again. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

_Have you ever cast a spell that was not words, but will?_

“That’s, uh, actually the only sort I knew how to do for the longest time.” He told the phone.

_I want you to do that. Pour you will into the mask. Use no words, force it to submit because you are the stronger. Because under your will and magic, nothing can rebel._

“Pretty.” Merlin snorted. “Really, fine words, but I don’t think that will work.”

 _Do it._ Merlin sighed. He put his hands back on the mask, tried not to grab Loki’s face. He tugged at his magic, urged it, like he did with the spells, but tried to funnel it with no words, like he did when he was young.

When he wanted something to move, it moved. Be it person or object. Time stilled for him. He swallowed and looked up, eyes gold and bright as the sun. Loki looked back, a poisoned, angry man, full of despair and loneliness and enough like Merlin that it physically hurt. He held the mask a little harder than he meant to and _pushed_.

_-o0O0o-_

Merlin was curled up on a bed. He blinked. New hotel, maybe. He didn’t recognize the room.

Then he remembered Loki’s mask, disintegrating in his fingers. He remembered the feeling of bewilderment and serenity when he understood just what made it tick, and how to destroy it or remove it or create it. Then he passed out.

Loki must have put him in the bed. “Loki?” He asked. No one was there. He felt with his magic, thankfully it didn’t seem to be any less or different, and felt no one.

Merlin cast the finding spell Loki taught him then, and held himself up on the bed as his sight was whisked out the door and down the hall and out of the hotel, through the air and stopped at the Stark tower. He saw Loki laugh and drop a chunk of building on a dark haired stranger, then his vision snapped back to his head. He ran out the door staggering into walls without waiting for his balance to recover.

Merlin rushed to the tower. His magic made him lighter and he almost flew. “Stop!” he yelled. Loki ignored him. The giant blond man he was fighting ignored him.

The blond man swung a massive mallet down, crackling with magic. “I said stop!” He yelled a shoved the man into the wall. Loki turned to him and grinned. It was interesting to see his whole face.

“Thank you, Merlin.”

“I’m not helping you with this,” He said loudly across the distance.

“Then go home.”

“No! Stop this—” His words dies in his throat as he watched the wall buckle then explode out towards Loki and a giant, some green behemoth come barreling out, roaring like nothing Merlin had ever seen. Loki had a moment to look alarmed before the creature’s massive green fists crashed down on him.

There was a moment of shocked still silence, then Merlin let the magic flood out of him. “ _NO_!” The green giant was the heaviest thing he had ever tried to move, but move it he did. It went crashing into the hole the blonde man made in the wall.

“That was very good.” Loki said into his ear. Merlin jumped. He hoped petulantly that he head-butted Loki.

“You _prat_! I thought it had _killed_ you!” Merlin hissed. Loki turned him back towards the fight.

“It’s called The Hulk. In just a moment, I want you to teleport us over there.”

“I told you I’m not helping with this.’

“You will find this particular action is one you want to take. Ready?” There was a roar and the Hulk came charging out of the rubble. Merlin’s heart leapt into his throat. “Now.” The Hulk leapt into the air and they were gone.

Loki stooped down and picked up a long metal pipe from the decimated bit of Stark Tower. He smiled at it and it transformed into a long and ornate spear. The blond man flew out of the pile beside them, sending lightening and debris into the air. Loki dodged the blow of his hammer and clubbed him hard over the back of the head with his sudden spear. The man skidded forward.

“That, Merlin, is my brother, Thor.” He spat.

“Loki, come on. There are far more of them than you.” Loki just grinned like a madman and ran back at his brother. The Hulk was up again and swatted both Thor and Loki down the road before Merlin could smash him into another wall. He ran down the road and tried to grab Loki and forcibly vanish them both. The ground exploded and a strange, loud, and oddly melodic noise echoes around them.

“Wow, talk about lessons not sinking in!” A floating, glowing red suit of armor said. Merlin rubbed his eyes.

“I’ve gone mad.”

“I’d blame the education system, but the system was us and we’re awesome.” He aimed a beam of blue light at Loki and Merlin set him on fire.

“Merlin,” Loki walked over to him. Thor bought down lightening from the sky. They both threw up their hands at the same time and deflected it. Merlin was breathing hard, not from exertion. His eyes were wide and he didn’t know whether to be scared or very, very angry. “You do seem to be helping quite a lot for not helping. Don’t be dissuaded. I appreciate it, my little magician.”

“Loki, don’t.” Merlin said lowly. He tried to grab for Loki, but passed right through him. He tossed the sudden handful of moths to the ground and made an irritated noise.

He stayed purposefully and petulantly out of the way after that, hoping that a couple blows would knock some sense into Loki. He still tried to keep the Hulk away, until the angry giant hurled a large chunk of building at him. He felt two pairs of hands on his shirt and arm drag him out of the way. “Thanks—” He blinked at Loki standing next to Arthur. Loki looked curiously down at Arthur. “How… did… you…”

“We’re going home.” Arthur said in his quietly angriest, most serious voice. Merlin swallowed.

Loki swatted him away with a wave of his spear. “Perhaps you should ask, fool king.”

“ _Loki_!” Merlin yelled. The Hulk came back, and Loki ran off out of the way. Merlin grabbed Arthur and yanked him out of the way.

“I’m fine Merlin, I—Stop fretting!’

“I’m sorry, I’m,”

“Shut up, there’s a battle going on.” Arthur stood and shoved Merlin behind him. He drew Excalibur and glared down the road at Loki.

“Arthur—”

“Stay behind me. We will speak about this later.” Merlin huffed and swung his head to the side. The metal man flew into a building. “ _Merlin_.”

“Sorry.”

“Stay here, don’t do anything.” Arthur said.

“I can’t— Arthur!” Merlin yelled after him. Merlin sat heavily on a chunk of rock and tried to fathom what was happening anymore.

Arthur was the best knight he had ever seen. He fought Loki, putting him quickly on the defensive. And though Merlin did his best to keep the Hulk out of the fray, Arthur still had several allies on his side.

But Loki was a trick inside a trick, and soon there were ten of him. Merlin stood, paced at the edge of battle. The Hulk was gone, he noticed suddenly. Replaced by a much smaller man holding up his pants and watching the fight with the same intense look Merlin was. Ready to transform again at a moment’s notice, he realized.

Merlin saw it before the Hulk did, and Arthur saw it before him. “He’s is trying to separate us!” Arthur called up to the metal man.

“I already have, fool king.” Loki hissed, for his ears only. “How loyal do you think Merlin will stay to you when you are dead?” He knocked Arthur back with his spear and a patch of ice suddenly on the ground. Arthur’s back hit the wall and Loki stabbed forward with his spear.

Arthur saw surprise in Loki’s eyes before he saw the reason for it. He felt, instead of a blade in his gut, a hand hit the wall beside him, bracing the man suddenly in front of him against the blow. He heard the breathing, abruptly there and loud and harsh.

Loki blinked, surprised and still. His eyes were almost childlike, confused and busy trying to make sense of the scene in front of him. Then they were bright and angry and as wild mad as Morgana’s.

“You are a fool Merlin.” He snarled and drove the blade of his spear up and into Merlin’s chest. Merlin choked. “A _fool_.” He yanked the blade out and Merlin sagged. His hand slipped from the wall and he fell into Arthur’s arms.

Loki wasn’t in front of him any longer. Arthur didn’t know where he was. “Merlin,” He said. Merlin’s eyes were closed. He didn’t move. Arthur rushed to move him levelly on the ground, and he held a scrap piece of metal to Merlin’s lips. “Come on, you’ve survived worse than this, Merlin.”

He felt hot, sticky, wet blood over his hand where he tried to keep pressure on the wound. Merlin didn’t twitch. The metal didn’t fog.

_-o0O0o-_

**Author's Note:**

> This must be my first complete story. While, I am quite proud of it, I know it isn't as mature, developmentally, or as well well written as a good number of the other fic in the Merlin and Avengers tags.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it anyway, and I hope there will be more complete stories up here! Please, feel free to give any critique.


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